Who are the stars of the Virgin River cast? Based on the novels of the same name by Robyn Carr, Virgin River has had us all hooked since it first debuted in 2021 on Netflix. Over the course of its three seasons, we have laughed, cried and fallen in love with some pretty memorable characters.
Telling the story of the LA nurse Mel Monroe, who moves to Virgin River for a fresh start, the series often explores the dramas between her new neighbours. But who are the real actors behind the fictional community? The cast of Virgin River holds many impressive performers who hold long-running careers in both film and TV. Some have worked in horror movies. Others are award-winners. In this guide, we go through the show’s main players to give you the inside scoop on just who is actually behind your favourite characters in the romance series.
Although our list doesn’t include everyone, we have gone over the original members who are still around and scheduled to appear in Virgin River season 5. We break down their characters, past work, and what projects they currently have lined up. So without further ado, here is all the information you need to know about the Virgin River cast. Warning minor spoilers ahead!
Here is the Virgin River cast and characters list:
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
- Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
- Daniel Gillies as Mark
- Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton
- Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
- Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
- Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins
- Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts
Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
Alexandra Breckenridge plays the part of Mel in the Netflix series, a nurse from Los Angeles who moves to the quiet community in search of a fresh start. Besides playing our main gal in Virgin River, Alexandra Breckenridge has had plenty of success in TV in the past.
She famously portrayed Sophie in This is Us. She is also a seasoned horror actor, having appeared in horror series such as The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and True Blood.
However, TV isn’t her only forte. Breckenridge has been announced to be part of the cast for the upcoming thriller movie In Limbo in a leading role. Of course, she will also be back for the next season of Virgin River too!
Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
What would Virgin River be without its heart-throb bartender? Martin Henderson plays the part of Jack Sheridan in the series, the ex-Marine bar owner who suffers from PTSD. He is Mel’s love interest and, after season 4’s events, her confirmed baby daddy too!
Henderson began his acting career at the age of 13 and has appeared on TV series such as Strangers, House, and Grey’s Anatomy. Along with TV, he has starred in a number of films, the most recent being the A24 movie X as Wayne Gilroy.
Daniel Gillies as Mark
Virgin River is packed with drama, and Mark has been in the centre of most despite being…well, dead. We often see Gillies as the character via flashbacks, as Mark is Mel’s deceased husband.
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Besides haunting Mel’s memories in Virgin River, Gillies has appeared on a number of hit shows. Fans may recognise him as the vampire Elijah in the fantasy series The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. He has also been in a Marvel movie, playing John Jameson in Spider-Man 2 (it seems that playing the hunky ‘other man’ is his thing).
Gillies has also gone behind the camera in his career. In 2012 he wrote, directed and starred in the movie Broken Kingdom along with his ex-wife Rachael Leigh Cook. In 2018, he directed an episode of The Originals too, so who knows? Maybe he will lend his filmmaking talents to Virgin River season 5 as well.
Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton
Colin Lawrence plays none other than Jack’s Marine BFF and cook Preacher. But don’t let his culinary skills fool you; Preacher has been a leading character for four seasons and, in the past, has wound up drugged and kidnapped.
Along with returning to Virgin River season 5, Lawrence holds a number of credits to his name – especially those of the sci-fi persuasion. He famously played Skulls in the rebooted Battlestar Galactica sci-fi series, and appeared in the Blade Marvel series, Endgame, and iZombie.
You may also recognise him as Coach Clayton from Riverdale or from his role in the DC movie Watchmen – directed by Zack Snyder.
Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
The community’s resident troublemaker, Dan Brady, is played by none other than Benjamin Hollingsworth. For those of you who aren’t up to date with Dan’s legal issues in Virgin River, the gun used to shoot Jack in season 2 ended up in dear old Dan’s car (spicy, isn’t it?)
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Hollingsworth is on the cast list of Virgin River season 5, so we will see him get up to more trouble soon enough. In the meantime, fans can see his past work on a variety of TV shows.
Over the years, Hollingsworth has appeared in thriller series such as CSI: Miami, Once Upon a Time, The Tomorrow People, and Code Black. However, he is most well-known for his role on Suits as Kyle Durant.
Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
Despite not appearing in Virgin River season 3, Annette O’Toole has confirmed that she will be back to play the part of Hope McCrea in season 5 (yay). Hope is the proactive Mayor of Virgin River, who, when she isn’t meddling for the greater good, also has a romantic relationship with Doc.
O’Toole has had a long-running career in film, TV and even music. In 1983, she played Clark Kent’s love interest in Superman III. In the ’90s, she starred in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s novel It. And in 2001, 18 years after her role in Superman, she went back into the DC world, playing Martha Kent in the TV series Smallville.
On top of her busy life as an actor, O’Toole also has a musical partnership with her husband, Michael McKean. One of the tracks the two wrote together, titled ‘A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow’, was nominated for an Oscar for the movie A Mighty Wind.
Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins
Doc Mullins is the surly doctor of Virgin River, who, let’s just say, wasn’t best pleased when Mel first moved into town. Season 3 may have hinted towards his retirement due to health issues, but don’t worry, the doctor is scheduled to continue his Virgin River run.
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Before he was the good Doctor, Matheson had an impressive career on screen and behind the camera. He is an actor and director. As a performer, Matheson has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his role in the 2000 drama series The West Wing. Other credits include Hart of Dixie, Child’s Play, Red Line, and No Strings Attached.
On the directorial side, Matheson has been helming episodes of Virgin River since 2019, and has led episodes on acclaimed shows such as Suits, Burn Notice, Criminal Minds and Lucifer.
Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts
Mel’s memory of Mark isn’t the only thing causing trouble in her and Jack’s relationship. Charmaine Roberts is Jack’s ex, who recently revealed that after seasons of speculation, Jack isn’t actually the father to her twins (gasp!).
Lauren Hammersley plays the part of Charmaine in the Netflix series, but this isn’t her first rodeo in TV and film. Hammersley began acting at the age of 12 after appearing in an ad campaign for Fantastic Sand Surprises (if you are a ’90s kid, that was the toy you were never allowed).
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Since then, she moved to star in shows such as Mr D, Saving Hope, and the thriller series Orphan Black. On top of her on-screen experience, Hammersley also worked as a full-time photographer, so we may see her taking on more crew-related roles in the production.
And there you have it, the cast of Virgin River. For more binge-worthy content, here is the cast of Bridgerton. Or, for more information on Virgin River, here’s a breakdown of the Virgin River filming locations.
If you are keen on upcoming releases, be sure to check out our guides going through all the new movies coming to the big screen in 2023, and the best movies of all time. Or you can go over our guide on everything we know about Outlander season 7.
